Housing and Migration project

Immigrants and Urban Housing Diversity: A Comparative Study of Non-Native Population Groups in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
About the Housing and Migration project:

Migration and urbanization are intricately interwoven phenomena. Migrants are essential for facilitating urban-centric growth policies, as graphically illustrated by how China has fast-forwarded to co-existing prosperity and inequality through rural-urban labor migration, or how European cities are aiming at selective intakes of high-skilled newcomers. In our globalizing and multi-culturalizing societies, conceptually challenging, ethically significant and policy-relevant issues pivot around immigrants’ integration and overcoming obstacles to it. 

Compared with other European countries, Finland has a short history of immigration. Thus, research on immigrants’ housing realities and perceptions in Finnish urban context is limited, especially from a comparative perspective. In this project, we investigate the immigrants’ housing pathways, realities and perceptions, focusing on the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The housing situations and choices by various groups, including second generation Vietnamese- and Somali-speaking groups, Chinese, western African, Iranian and South Asian groups are explored in this research. 
Publications of the project (published or submitted):
  • Sa, H., Vuolteenaho, J., Rönnberg, O., Nur, N., Plaisted., A. & Vaattovaara., M. (forthcoming) Asumisvalintojen eriytyminen ja omistusmentaliteetti: Työikäisten kiinan-, vietnamin- ja somalinkielisten asuntomarkkinatoimijuus pääkaupunkiseudulla. [Differentiation of housing choices and the property mind: The housing market agency of working-age Chinese, Vietnamese and Somali -speakers in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area]. Yhdyskuntasuunnittelu/The Finnish Journal of Urban Studies.
  • Sa, H. (2023). Immigrants’ housing careers, realities and perceptions. Urbaria Summaries Series 3/2023. 
Sub-studies / articles in process:
  • Sa, H. & Vuolteenaho, J.: The Chinese property mind goes northern Europe: Ideals of home and financialized subjectivities in flux among propertied Chinese immigrants in Metropolitan Helsinki.
  • Vuolteenaho, J., Sa, H., Nur, N. & co-authors: Housing pathways of highly skilled immigrants in a Nordic welfare state: Comparing second-generation and newly-arrived ethnic groups. 
  • Sa, H. & Vuolteenaho, J., Nur, N. & co-authors: A racially discriminating housing regime? African originated ethnic groups’ experiences on residing in a northern European city.       
  • Vuolteenaho, J., Sa, H. & co-authors: The Finnish housing regime and South Asians’ housing market agency in Metropolitan Helsinki.  
Master’s Theses (completed):
Master’s Theses (in process):
  • Popoola, T.: Exploring housing choices and homeownership aspirations among Nigerian immigrants in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. 
  • Akuratiya Gamage, D.: Housing Patterns and Challenges: A Comparative Study of South Asian Immigrants in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
  • Adzatsi, S.: Title TBA.
  • Kerr, D.: What impact are changes in social housing policy and capacity having on low-income migrants in Helsinki
Leading project members:

  •  Vuolteenaho, Jani

    Jani Vuolteenaho, PhD, is the Director and University Lecturer in the Master's Programme in Urban Studies and Planning, an interdisciplinary joint programme between the University of Helsinki and Aalto University. On the top of the Housing & Migration -project, his current research concentrates on the Contested Waterfront Transformation (ConWa) – project (Funded by the Research Council of Finland, 2024-2028). 

 

  •  Sa, Haoxuan

    Sa is a postdoctoral researcher in Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki. Her expertise includes housing policies, land property rights and migration studies.
Academic advisors and co-authors:
  •  Prof. Mari Vaattovaara
  •  Oskar Rönnberg